Display-rack



(NoModeL) B. B WEIDNER.

DISPLAY RACK.

P10318336. tented May 19. 1885.

WITNE ES: INVENTOR.

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lhvrrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENNEVELL B. \VEIDNER, READING, PENNSYLVANTA.

DISPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,336, dated May 19, 1885.

Application filed August 29,1884.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNEVELL B. WEID- NER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Reading, county of Berks,- State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Display-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to display-racks for corn brooms and similar articles, and is adapted to the use of grocers'and others.

The object of the invention is to furnish a display-rack for the above purpose that will have great stability when opened out for the display of the goods, that may be easily shifted from point to point without dismantling, and which when closed will rest against the wall and occupy a comparatively small space in the store. These results are attained in the use of the rack shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters designate similar parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack as arranged for brooms, the arms opened out to display the same; Fig. 2, a plan of the upper arms, the rack being closed and the brooms removed; Fig. 3, a plan of the upper arms, the rack being opened, as in the perspective view; Fig. 4, aside elevation of the rack as closed and set back against the wall; Fig. 5, a view of the center post detached; Fig. 6, a plan and side elevation of one-half of the lower arms, showing the notching of the same.

' A represents the center post; A, head or collar; A stem; A )in and pin-hole; B, the lower arms; B, perforations to slipover center post; B countersunk holes for the reception of the broom-handles; B, half-notching; B casters; C, upper arms; 0, perforation to slip over the stem of the center post; 0 holes passing entirely through the arms, and in which the brooms are supported and secured; D,wrought-iron distance-rods; E, corn brooms, F, handles of same; G, screw-eyes; H, suspension-rods; H, bent head on the rod. J are articles hung upon the suspension-rod, and locked in place thereon.

The construction of the rack is as follows, giving the sizes that I have found most convenient, but which may be varied to suit the character of the display to be made: The arms (No model.)-

are cut from plank of about two inches in thickness, six inches in width, and, say, forty inches long. A circle of six inches diameter is struck at the center of the length, and the arms gaged to a width of three inches from the edge of the plank on opposite sides of the center circle. The ungaged portion, being cut away, leaves the arms of the form shown in Fig. 6. The arms are produced in pairs, are subsequently gaged at center to one-half thickness, and lapped together, so that the arms will open out to an angle of forty-five degrees, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower pair of arms are perforated to drop free over the center post, A, and the upper pair to drop free over the stem A The upper arms are perforated by a series of holes of a diameter to admit the broom-handles, and the lower arms are correspondingly bored to about two-thirds of the thickness of the arms to both receive and retain the handles in place. The holes in both sets of arms are so spaced relative to each other that when the rack is closed the brooms shall enter between each other without interference. The center post, A, I make about three inches diameter with a head or collar, A, a stem, A and a securing hole and pin, A, and usually between collar and shoulder of stem of two feet five inches in length, the stem five inches long by two inches diameter.

To add to the stiffness of the rack,wroughtiron rods D,ofsuitable size, are passed through the upper and lower arms and secured thereto. Wire screw-eyes G are inserted in the closedfront faces of the upper arms, and wire rods H, having bent heads H, are inserted from the center toward the outer ends of thearms while the rack is closed. Any small article it is desired to display having a ring orloop attached thereto is slipped over the rod between the eyes G as the rod is pushed in place.

To give facility to the opening and closing of the rack and add to its ease of portability, casters B are attached to the ends of the lower arms, 13.:

The use of the rack is as follows: The arms B O are filled with the brooms or other articles to be exhibited, and the rods H hung with the smallerarticles. the ends of the arms 0, the rack is opened out to the position shown in the perspective ele- WVhen catching hold of vation. It may then be readily moved in any direction upon its casters,,and the act ofopening the rack locks all the small articles upon the wire rod H, as the same cannot be withdrawn from the eyes G, except by the reclosing of the rack and withdrawing the rod as it was inserted from the center.

This improvement gives a larger base for exhibition purposes during the day and a smaller base for storage during the night than any display-rack of which Ihave knowledge.

I am aware that a compound display-rack of a series of bars pivoted, as in lazy-tongs, and provided with vertical end bars, has been introduced, (see Patent No, 264,751, Septernber 19, 1882, display-Jack, Alfred F. Potts;) but my rack is essentially different, consisting of two integral arms pivoted top and bottom to a central supporting-post, the arms separating and closing with their upper faces upon the same plane, mounted upon casters, and so arranged that it may be moved to and fro without disturbing thegoods displayed thereon.

Having shown my improvement and described its construction and use, I desire to secure the following claims thereon:

1. An improved portable display-rack comprising the followingelements: a central post, A, with head A, stein A", and pin A a lower set of arms, 13, semi-perforated at B halflapped at the center, said center perforated to slide freely overthe post A,an upper set of arms, 0, similarly half-lapped at the center, said center perforated to slide freely over the stern A arms perforated at C to admit the passage of the handles F of the brooms E, and iron rods D, binding the same together, in combination with the casters B and broom E F, ubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A portable display-rack adapted to be opened and folded with the faces of its arms at top and base upon the same plane, supported and combined by a central post, and in combination therewith eyes G and rods H, with heads 11, as and for the purpose shown and described.

BENNEVELL B. XVEIDNER.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS P. KINsEY, F. PIERCE HUMMEL. 

